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Mastodon, the open source, decentralized alternative to Twitter/X, is adding a feature to its app that will help make the transition smoother for newcomers: Lists. The company today announced the Mastodon app for Android is adding the much-in-demand feature, which allows users to create custom lists around specific topics or interests. An update for iOS is expected to follow, though the company did not commit to a time frame.
Previously, Mastodon users could only access the Lists feature via the web, which made it difficult to keep up with topics the same way you could on Twitter, which has since been rebranded as X. Mastodon’s user interface is also a bit more cumbersome on the web, as you could only add and remove people from lists either by editing the list itself or from their user profile. But, in typical Mastodon fashion, the latter only worked if the user was on the same server (or “instance” in Mastodon parlance) as your own account.
Other third-party apps from indie developers and small startups stepped in to address the lack of lists on mobile. For example, apps like Tusky, Metatext, Ivory, Mammoth and more, now support lists on mobile more elegantly. However, Mastodon’s own first-party mobile app didn’t offer access to lists until now. But mobile development at Mastodon has sped up since the hiring of additional developers last year, allowing Mastodon to play catch-up with Twitter/X. That effort has also included a significant update released in September designed to make Mastodon easier to use by former Twitter users and overhauled search.
In today’s announcement, the company explains that lists do more than allow you to curate topics around your interests — they also provide a way to declutter your home feed by limiting some accounts to lists, where you can engage with them “on your own terms.” This could be helpful for subjects or interests you only want to track on occasion, as opposed to seeing every time you log on.
Mastodon suggested more features were in the works for iOS and web, as well, though didn’t give an indication as to when Lists would arrive on the App Store version of its mobile app.
The company has stayed in the running as a potential alternative to X as users look for other platforms to serve their microblogging needs. After becoming dissatisfied with changes to the app formerly known as Twitter under Elon Musk’s ownership, Mastodon has boosted its following. But it’s not the only one benefiting; the chaos at X also led to an explosion of alt-Twitters, including one from Meta known as Instagram Threads, and Bluesky, an app built on a competitive decentralized social networking protocol that spun out from Twitter under Jack Dorsey’s reign.
However, some startups haven’t fared as well — the ongoing “stickiness” factor for X already led to the shutdown of Pebble (formerly known as T2), one of the early companies to try to clone Twitter alongside Spill, Post, Spoutible and others.
Mastodon, however, has hung in there with some 1.7 million monthly active users as of this month. The company earlier in October noted it had more users than it thought, as a network connectivity error caused it to undercount its user base. The adjustment included a gain of 2.34 million registered users across an additional 727 servers that had not been counted previously.
The company is not a traditional startup, as it operates as a nonprofit funded by donations, Patreon subscriptions, government grants and, more recently, merchandise sales. Despite its small size and team, it’s managed to onboard several publishers, creators and users since Musk’s Twitter takeover, while also gaining integrations from other publishing startups, like Flipboard and Medium.


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When it comes to what online B2B consumers are looking for, 45% said they’d like the ability to set custom pricing, according to a recent study from Oracle as reported on InternetRetailer.com. Likewise, another 45% also mentioned that advanced website search and navigation was also important, as well as account management for 43% of respondents.
The survey comprised of 50 e-commerce consumers that are in the B2B industry and also answered questions on their main challenges and areas of focus. 71% of participants were located in North America.
Top challenges as a B2B e-commerce consumer included:
- Pricing complexity: 60%
- Website complexity: 52%
- Back-end complexity: about 40%
Judging from this study B2B consumers are looking for an easy-to-use website experience from their business vendors that works on multiple fronts: the back-end, search and navigation of the website, and better pricing tools that allow for custom order options.
In addition, this year respondents are looking to focus on customer loyalty and retention, multi-channel experiences, increased promotions, and growing market share. This leans toward increased efforts on marketing, customer service, and implementing content promotion on different platforms, such as video, email, and blogging.
When it comes to e-commerce on their end, 57% of participants said they were implementing mobile commerce and 49% have started (or want to start) social commerce programs.
Finally, almost half said that customer loyalty and retention are one of their top priorities, which is an increase of almost 10% compared to 2013. This focus goes hand in hand with implementing well-thought out marketing campaigns and strategies, including targeted content and media outreach.

domain: news


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The fast food market has taken some major blows over the past year, what with rising minimum wages and diners' growing affections for more upscale (and often, healthier) fast-casual concepts, leaving the pillars of the fast food industry scrambling for ways to bring in customers (and revenue). From launching all-day breakfast to ridiculous marketing ploys like free fast food-themed weddings, the fight to stay on top has even taken the fast food giants to space. The latest battle in the pursuit of the almighty dollar has the kings of fast food going head-to-head to see who can create the most desirable value meal, with new offers meant to replace the dollar menus of yore.
The first to give its value menu a fresh-for-2016 makeover was McDonald's. Their latest promotion, McDonald's McPick 2 for $2, was announced in November as a replacement for the company's long-time Dollar Menu. Launched nationwide on January 4, it currently includes four items: McDouble, McChicken, small fries, and the recently launched mozzarella sticks; customers can pick two items for a total of $2. This deal's got an expiration date: The promo is currently scheduled to end February 8.
Senior vice president of marketing Deborah Wahl stated that the change was aimed at "customers [that] are looking for choice and flexibility." But really, McDonald's has a financial reason for making the switch: Thanks to inflation, its Dollar Menu was no longer as profitable as the company needed it to be, especially amidst current financial hardships that panicked franchisee owners. The company began its attempts to steer customers clear of the unprofitable menu by launching the "Extra Value Menu" in 2012, though it did little to thwart the Dollar Menu's popularity. Its next attempt, dubbed the "Dollar Menu & More," was met with confusion by loyal Dollar Menu fans. Only time will tell if the McPick 2 menu will find favor with drive-thru devotees.
Not to be out-cheaped, Burger King followed up with its own promotional menu the next day, offering a five-item combo for $4. The meal includes a bacon cheeseburger, four piece chicken nuggets, small french fries, a small drink, and a warm chocolate chip cookie. Because the menu offers a complete — if nutritionally devoid — meal rather than a choice of individual items, it may lack the broader appeal of other value menus that give customers more options to customize.
Hopping on new value menu bandwagon isn't the only recent copycat move by Burger King: It recently began selling all-day breakfast at one of its New Jersey locations directly across the street from reigning all-day breakfast king McDonald's. But BK's value menu also differs from McDonald's in another big way: It doesn't yet have an end date in sight.
Offering variety in its new value menu was paramount for stuffed-crust purveyor Pizza Hut. On the very same day as the McDonald's launch, Pizza Hut debuted a new $5 Flavor Menu. There are seven items offered in the new promotion — a double order of breadsticks, medium one-topping pizzas, pasta, eight boneless wings, a chocolate chip cookie pizza, and a four-pack of soft drinks. Much like the McDonald's Pick 2, customers have to order at least two items to get the $5 price.
"What we wanted to do was make sure we had the broadest appealing value menu in the category," the company's Chief Brand and Concept Officer explains in an interview with Business Insider. He elaborates on the menu choices: "Most consumers have tried some of our items, but they haven't tried them all in combination." In addition to bringing in customers who are hunting for a deal, the variety of the menu is intended to encourage consumers to expand their usual pizza order and try something new — in hopes that they'll discover a new must-have item that would drive up the total bill for any future orders.
While fast food chains are scrambling to one-up each other's value menu options, they're still hoping you'll shell out for more expensive, premium menu items instead: The Associated Press notes that "chains do their best to make sure regulars stick to the pricier meals they usually order. At a New York City McDonald's, an employee said she was told not to suggest the $2-for-2 deal, but wait for people to order it on their own."
But is this bargain-priced battle a moot point? So-called "deal seekers" only account for about 15 percent of customers, and the sought-after millennial demographic seems to be more concerned with other issues like healthier, more high-quality food and greater transparency around ingredients. Or perhaps McDonald's, Burger King, and the like should take a cue from Chick-fil-A, which is currently hipping up its own image by introducing oh-so-trendy kale salad created for by so hot-right-now Atlanta chef Ford Fry.


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The Tesla Model 3 Performance is set to receive some upgrades when it debuts with the Project Highland refresh design. While we still don’t know for sure when it will be released, the source code already revealed it was coming with upgraded front seats to match its increased performance, and now they have been spotted for the first time.
When Tesla launched the upgraded Model 3 last year in China and Europe, and earlier this month in North America, only the Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) and Long Range (LR) variants were available, with the company making no mention of when, or even if the Performance variant would return.
In the weeks and months that followed its initial launch we learned it would return, and that it would be coming with increased performance, and what Tesla’s Director, Vehicle Programs and New Product Introduction called some “pretty special” upgrades. We also learned it would still retain the Performance moniker, despite a Ludicrous badge appearing in the Parts Catalog.
To match the increased performance, Tesla will be launching the Model 3 Performance with new Sport seats with improved bolstering and support. These were revealed in an image included in a software update last year, but now the new seats have been spotted for the first time in a test vehicle in Palo Alto, California by Fidel Grandez (@fidelgrandez01).
Although the image quality is not the greatest due to reflections, the new seats (left) appear to be identical to the Sport seats that Tesla accidentally revealed in the Model S Plaid Service Manual last year (right).
This of course won’t be the only upgrade. According to third party companion service Teslascope (@Teslascope), the new Model 3 Performance will also include a newly designed rear spoiler and an updated user interface (UI) for Track Mode, along with other hardware changes they were unable to share.
We still don’t know when the new Model 3 Performance will return to Tesla’s website for ordering, but based on recent rumours an announcement could come this month, and if it does, deliveries could begin as soon as March.


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All About STEM NEWS
The Big Bang North West 2015: Fab Lab Confirmed!
Fantastic news! Fab Lab Ellesmere Port will be exhibiting at The Big Bang North West 2015 – 3D printing anyone? Yes!
Fab Lab Ellesmere Port offers the latest in digital fabrication equipment along with a friendly atmosphere where like-minded people can build, code, solder, design and engineer pretty much anything they can think of.
Our Labs have highly trained staff on hand to help you with your project, whether it be a community project, something for your home or a brand new product you want to prototype.
“Fab Lab Ellesmere Port will be bringing the latest in digital technology to The Big Bang North West to demonstrate the real world of modern manufacturing.
During the event the laser cutter will be used to produce a bespoke design of the school logo in under 5 minutes showing how modern manufacturing can be achieved very rapidly and no longer just in factory’s. While the logo is being produced Fab Lab will also showcase our 3D printers and show just how easy it is to “hack” a standard gaming machine to produce a 3D scanner and scan a pupil into a 3D design.”
We’re looking forward to this!
Is your school coming to The Big Bang North West?
THE BIG BANG NORTH WEST 2015 – CLICK TO BOOK YOUR PLACES!
« Back To News


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Uber is preparing to enter the marijuana market in Canada, where users of the Uber Eats service application in the Canadian city of Ontario will soon be able to order cannabis products on the application.
Customers will be able to place their orders in a dedicated section of the app for Tokyo Smoke retail cannabis stores, and then pick them up at a nearby store.
The company declined to say whether it would expand the service to all parts of Canada and the United States.
The Canadian marijuana market is worth about C$5 billion ($4 billion) annually.
The company said that Uber Eats users will have to confirm their age on the app before they can receive their orders within an hour.
Under Canadian law, marijuana delivery service remains illegal, although its use has been legal since 2018.
Uber has long set its sights on the cannabis boom.
In April, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the company would consider including cannabis in delivery services as soon as US law allowed it.
Although the sale of cannabis for recreational personal use became legal in Canada three years ago, illegal producers still control a large share of sales, something the government is trying to address.
Uber said its partnership with Tokyo Smoke stores will help adults in the country buy safe and legal cannabis, and combat illegal sellers.
The Canadian cannabis market is expected to continue to expand in the coming years, with industrial research firm BDS Analytics forecasting sales to grow to $6.7 billion by 2026.
“We will continue to closely monitor regulations and opportunities market to market. As local and federal laws change, we will explore opportunities with merchants operating in other regions,” an Uber spokesperson said.
Demand for cannabis products increased dramatically last year when people were stuck at home due to the coronavirus lockdowns.


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Blueprint for change
The empty lot at Sixth and Main streets will become an example of the building possibilities open to downtown property owners, if the city OKs plans by a group of investors led by architect Steve Gonsalves.
Gonsalves, along with co-investor David Rogers, is a shareholder in Nichols, Melburg & Rossetto Architects and Engineers, which currently has its office at 434 Broadway. Once the building is complete—they expect to break ground this spring—their business will move in. Other investors who will locate there include a pair of accountants. In fact, here’s the rest of the list: Charlene Gonsalves, Marvin “Butch” Meester, Kristina Rogers, Christine Roster and Jerrald Roster.
“It’s been my dream to build a very nice office building, a nice, major addition to the downtown,” Gonsalves said. “But it’s not just an office building.” In keeping with the Chico General Plan’s desire for mixed residential and commercial uses, the building will include two 2,500-square-foot loft apartments. The Gonsalves will live in one of them, a welcome throwback to his days living up in a three-story walkup in San Francisco. The architectural style will be Spanish Colonial with contemporary elements, and the structure will come in just under the city’s downtown height limit of 65 feet.
That land, adjacent to the Senator Theatre, used to be the site of a drive-in back in the 1950s and ‘60s and later was home to Fireside Books and a bike shop. The building was eventually torn down, and Gonsalves bought the lot five years ago.
He also hopes the group’s project will “spark the entrepreneurial juices of some of the old-time property owners in the downtown.”
The Planning Commission, rather than the Architectural Review Board, will be the body to hear the application and consider granting a use permit at its March 20 meeting.
Clearing out the Wherehouse
The Chico Wherehouse, not unlike the Chico Tower Records, managed not to seem corporate in a town where many diss huge, out-of-town businesses. And it managed to maintain an impressive array of used CDs amid its inventory.
The prior sentence is written in past tense because the Wherehouse, whose parent company has filed for bankruptcy, will soon be no more. Employees got word Feb. 14 (Happy Valentine’s Day) but are still not sure when the final day of business will be. A sign on the door of the Mangrove Avenue store names Feb. 18 as the last day to rent things.
Local employees referred media questions to Anita-Marie Hill, a Los Angeles-based spokesperson. She said the decision of which stores to close is “based on profitability.” Once the bankruptcy court approves the closures, Hill said, the Chico store will reopen for eight to 12 weeks for a liquidation sale.
Business-watchers have been following the Wherehouse’s slide nationwide for some time. On Jan. 21, the company announced that it was filing for restructuring under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code and would close 120 “unprofitable or underperforming stores” in the coming months, leaving it with 250 outlets. The 30-year-old chain had previously filed for bankruptcy in 1995.
In what has become the mantra of struggling music businesses, Wherehouse’s CEO Jerry Comstock in a press release blamed “the increase in illegal downloading music and CD burning, coupled with continued pressure from the major discount retailers to sell product below cost.” The restructuring plan calls for investing in store remodels and interactive listening stations.
Other music chains are planning closures, too, including 150 of the Best Buy-owned Musicland and Sam Goody stores. The corporate owner of FYE, which has a store in the Chico Mall, plans on closing 24 of its 900 locations, according to a report in The Los Angeles Times. Employees at the Chico FYE expect it to stay open.


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In a talk in front of an aviation professionals' group in New York, Alaska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden said "the thing I’m losing the most sleep over with our merger" with Virgin America is the fact that he may have to reconcile two very distinct brands with very different, and loyal, customer bases. Tilden told the Associated Press, at the Wings Club in NY, that Alaska is "taking a good look at running two brands for some period of time, perhaps forever."
This should come as some relief to fans of San Francisco-based Virgin America, whose first fear after news of the merger broke in April was that all the things that are great about Virgin touch-screen food and drink ordering, wi-fi that mostly works, the safety videos, the lighting, on-demand entertainment and satellite TV would disappear or at least get watered down. Some of that wouldn't make sense, however, just given how much younger Virgin's fleet of planes are, and all that technology comes ready-installed.
The SF Business Times quotes Tilden as saying, "We are looking at [keeping Virgin its own thing] because we do believe in the power of the Virgin America brand, and we don’t want to lose all that loyalty and revenue that exists today."
Alaska fans, meanwhile, as the AP notes, like the budget-driven perks and on-time reliability of their airline, and there is the risk of confusing customers by joining brands that are so different in style not to mention confusing employees. (It should be noted that because the planes and their inner workings are different, employees of the former Continental Airlines, now a part of United, still only fly on planes that were part of the Continental fleet, and still had their own distinct pay structure long after the merger.)
The merger, a deal potentially worth $4 billion, creates the nation's fifth largest airline, and one with a particularly strong hold on the West Coast market. Tilden says he expects regulatory approval for the merger by early fall.
Tilden notes how European brands have remained distinct and separate entities despite mergers, such as Air France and KLM. But, he hedges a bit when he tells the AP in an interview that maintaining a distinct airline-within-an-airline is, ultimately, "inefficient," and says, "More likely is an outcome where each brand’s best practices are retained. For core Alaska flyers, this could mean ordering a meal from one’s seatback monitor on a flight to Anchorage."
But what about the safety video?!?!
Previously: Virgin America Sold To Alaska Airlines


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© Reuters. UK Put up Workplace now permits prospects to purchase Bitcoin by its app
Prospects of the UK Put up Workplace can now make in-app purchases following a partnership with German-based crypto trade Swarm Markets.
The partnership will enable customers which have verified their identities by the Put up Workplace EasyID app to immediately entry and buy cryptocurrencies from Swarm’s web sites. Customers can achieve entry by shopping for crypto vouchers that may be redeemed for digital currencies like Bitcoin.
A number of monetary markets specialists have expressed their issues over the risky nature of digital currencies. Some steered that customers must be introduced with a radical warning earlier than they achieve publicity to digital belongings. Warren Shute, Chartered Monetary Planner famous:
When individuals purchase cryptocurrencies, they need to be bought with a really clear wealth warning: that you can get again rather a lot lower than you bought. It’s one factor shopping for crypto on-line through an funding platform, as that’s what the viewers expects, however you don’t affiliate this with the Put up Workplace.
On the flip facet, co-Founding father of Swarm Markets Phillip Pieper believes that the partnership will make it simpler for individuals to buy cryptocurrencies. He stated:
By making it simple and secure to purchase actual Bitcoin and , extra individuals now have the choice to get began in crypto.
Commenting on the partnership, a spokesperson for the UK Put up Workplace stated:
Entry to services and products are more and more transferring on-line and we’ve responded to this shift by launching our free-to-use app, Put up Workplace EasyID. Permitting individuals to construct their very own safe digital identification on their Smartphones and enabling them to simply management and show who they’re to whichever enterprise they need to work together with.
The UK Put up Workplace is just not entitled to any fee on the Bitcoin and crypto purchases by the EasyID app on Swarm Markets. Nonetheless, Swarm Markets is paying the Put up Workplace for using its ID verification software program.
There are quite a few different methods prospects can entry cryptocurrencies. Within the UK, Exchanges like Binance, Coinbase (NASDAQ:), and Gemini are already providing these providers to residents. Final month, PayPal (NASDAQ:) expanded its cryptocurrency providers to UK residents, lower than a yr after introducing the characteristic that enables US residents to purchase Bitcoin and different cryptocurrencies on its platform.
Proceed studying on BTC Friends
Fusion Media or anybody concerned with Fusion Media is not going to settle for any legal responsibility for loss or harm on account of reliance on the knowledge together with information, quotes, charts and purchase/promote alerts contained inside this web site. Please be absolutely knowledgeable relating to the dangers and prices related to buying and selling the monetary markets, it is likely one of the riskiest funding kinds doable.


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Guwahati: Guwahati is all set to host the grand finale of ‘TRENDSETTER 2018’, not just a beauty pageant but a face hunt and a fashion event presented by Trends, the lifestyle retail chain of Reliance Industries and managed by Trident Brandcom. This is the first edition of the pageant, and offers the winners to become the face of the brand. Around 36 aspiring models, both males and females, from across Northeast and North Bengal have been shortlisted for the finale after several rounds of auditions.
The finale is scheduled to take place on December 8 at Pragjyotish ITA Centre in Guwahati. And, the seven jury members who will be judging the contestants and deciding their fate so far as the contest is concerned, include big names from the fashion industry – Prashant Ghosh, Roshni Hassan, Nupur Saigal, Tanmoy Saikia, Barsha Aditya Singh, Sumita Dey Deka and Ushmita Dey. The contestants have been undergoing grooming sessions by ace fashion choreographer Meenu Paul, who is also the official groomer and choreographer for the contest.
Apart from the face hunt and the coveted TRENDSETTER title, which will be bestowed upon the winners, the competition also comprises of four sub-categories, including TRENDSETTER Personality, TRENDSETTER Photogenic, TRENDSETTER Hipster, TRENDSETTER Digital Diva/Divo.
Speaking to EastMoko, Sudha Laskar, managing partner, Trident Brandcom, said, “We held auditions in more than 16 locations of Northeast and North Bengal, and we received around 700 applications from interested contestants. After rigorous scrutiny we finalised on the 36 finalists”
She added, “TRENDSETTER is not just about good looks, height and size, but also about attitude and confidence, which sets this pageant apart from other competitions. We are not just looking for a beautiful face, but a trendsetter”
Talking about the quality of the contestants, Meenu Paul mentioned, “The panel has chosen a good mix of contestants with each one having its own USP. And, I hope they perform well in the finale, as this is a great platform for aspiring models to reach new heights in the fashion industry.”
The contest has not kept a bar on married or unmarried contestants, anyone within the age group of 16-26 has been able to participate in the beauty pageant.
Nitin Medhiratta, Operation Head- East 2, Trends said, “TRENSETTER is an initiative by Trends to promote fashion in the Northeast, and we have expanded our wings to North Bengal as well. We are happy with the response, and plan on taking it further in the future.”


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Shortly after Michael Fletcher replaced Ken Towle as the wholesaler’s boss in January, Nisa retailers were promised a number of regional events allowing them to discuss issues they were experiencing alongside potential solutions.
Store owners claimed they were still waiting for these meetings to happen. One Nisa partner, who asked not to be named, criticised the lack of clarity.
They told betterRetailing: “We’ve heard nothing about dates for regional meetings after retailers asked if it would be possible to sit down with the buying teams to discuss any issues.”
However, betterRetailing understands that Fletcher has been visiting retailers across England to receive feedback on any issues affecting their stores, with the intention of addressing the problems through a number of updates.
The regional meetings had been temporarily scrapped in 2020 to help the wholesaler prepare for a retail summit event during that same year.
Store owners also claimed there was an absence in meetings between Nisa and its retail monitoring group.
The group was set up in 2018 and consisted of six Nisa retailers representing different regions of the UK. Its purpose is to raise any concerns with the wholesaler’s senior leadership team.
However, one retailer claimed there had been no monitoring group meeting this year. They told betterRetailing: “There’s not been a Nisa monitoring group meeting since Fletcher came in. The lack of meetings has answered a lot of my questions about the company. The last monitoring group meeting was around Christmas.”
Another store owner added: “It’s all just false promises. We’ve got issues with deliveries and pricing. The whole purpose of the monitoring group was to raise issues like this, but Nisa isn’t listening. That was the main route for retailers to speak to Nisa.
“There’s no communication from head office to members, and how do retailers communicate with Nisa directly?”
Asked to provide more clarity on regional meetings and the monitoring group, a Nisa spokesperson said: “Nisa is committed to communicating with its retailers through a variety of channels designed to reach the whole partnership.
“We continue to develop and explore engaging ways of sharing valuable insight and information with our partners and look forward to meeting with them at our forthcoming Nisa Expo at Stoneleigh this September.”
Read more Nisa news


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It’s not just Nikon. Canon is also reportedly planning to launch two different full frame mirrorless cameras in the very near future.
The first camera to be announced will be a 30.4-megapixel mirrorless camera that could be “closely related” to the sensor found in the existing Canon 5D Mark IV, Canon Rumors writes. Canon said back in May that it’s finally willing to cannibalize its DSLRs to play a bigger part in the growth of mirrorless cameras.
The second Canon full frame mirrorless body launched afterward will reportedly have a lower pixel count — possibly 24 megapixels.
Canon Rumors writes that neither camera will compete directly in high ISO performance against Sony’s a7S II, a 12.2-megapixel low-light monster, and that Canon doesn’t currently have plans to jump into that niche.
Both cameras will reportedly shoot 4K video, but the “flagship” camera will be the more formidable camera on the video-front.
It’s currently unclear what lens mount Canon will include in its mirrorless camera line, but Canon Rumors says there are murmurings that Canon has developed a “sexy solution” to the problem of making its mirrorless cameras compatible with EF lenses.
And unlike Nikon, which is expected to announce its mirrorless cameras within the next couple of months, it’s unclear when Canon is planning to unveil its creation, but both cameras are expected to start shipping by the middle of 2019.


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|By Business Wire||
|January 29, 2014 01:00 AM EST||
Renesas Electronics Corporation (“Renesas Electronics”, TSE: 6723) and Sony Corporation (“Sony”, TSE: 6758) today announced that they have signed a definitive agreement to transfer a semiconductor manufacturing facility and related equipment (the “Asset Transfer") at the Tsuruoka Factory (12-inch front-end wafer fabrication line of the semiconductor production facility) of Renesas Yamagata Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (“Renesas Yamagata Semiconductor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Renesas Electronics, to Sony Semiconductor Corporation (“SCK”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony.
1. Background of the Asset Transfer
As announced on August 2, 2013, in the news release “Renesas Electronics Shows Direction of Renesas Group,” Renesas Electronics has been promoting the realignment of Renesas Group’s manufacturing sites in Japan in an effort to strengthen its financial base. As part of this process, Renesas Electronics is working to maintain and strengthen its high-quality technology in the areas where its strengths lie, such as flash MCUs (microcontrollers) and low-power operation technologies, while concentrating and consolidating its front-end facilities based on production efficiency and cost-to-performance ratio.
As announced on April 12, 2012, in the news release “Sony Transformation to Revitalize Electronics Business, Generate Growth and Drive New Value Creation,” Sony is positioning the imaging business as one of its core electronics businesses. As part of this strategy, Sony has been exploring opportunities to increase its production capacity for image sensors, a key component used in mobile products such as smartphones and tablets, for which increasing demand is anticipated.
Based on the background above, Renesas Electronics and Sony signed the Asset Transfer Agreement today, under which a semiconductor manufacturing facility and related equipment are expected to be transferred to SCK on March 31, 2014. This Asset Transfer is subject to the receipt of necessary regulatory approvals.
After the Asset Transfer, the system LSIs and others produced at the Tsuruoka Factory will be produced there for Renesas Electronics by SCK on a contract basis for a certain period of time as agreed by Renesas Electronics and Sony. After expiration of that period, Renesas Electronics will shift the production of the system LSIs to its Naka Factory or discontinue production, as Renesas Electronics previously announced to its customers.
2. Overview of the Assets to be Transferred
|Assets to be transferred and their location||
The semiconductor manufacturing equipment as well as incidental assets, such as land, buildings, etc., at the Renesas Yamagata Semiconductor’s Tsuruoka Factory (12-inch front-end wafer fabrication line of the semiconductor production facility), as agreed by Renesas Electronics and Sony
1-11-73, Takarada, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan
|Book value||Estimated amount of book value as of the date of the Asset Transfer is being evaluated|
|Transfer price||7.51 billion yen|
|Current status||Renesas Yamagata Semiconductor’s Tsuruoka Factory (12 inch front-end wafer fabrication line of the semiconductor production facility)|
3. Overview of Renesas Electronics and Sony
|(1) Company Name||Renesas Electronics Corporation|
|(2) Location||1753 Shimonumabe, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture , Japan|
|(3) Representative||Hisao Sakuta, Representative Director, Chairman and CEO|
|(4) Operations||Research, development, design, manufacture, sale and servicing of semiconductor products|
|(5) Capital||228.2 billion yen|
November 1, 2002
(Started operations on April 1, 2010)
|(7) Net Assets||221.8 billion yen (As of September 30, 2013)|
|(8) Total Assets||796.2 billion yen (As of September 30, 2013)|
(9) Major Stockholders and Ownership Ratios
(As of September 30, 2013)
Innovation Network Corporation of Japan: 69.15%
Japan Trustee Services Bank, Ltd. (Re-trust of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Limited / NEC Corporation pension and severance payments Trust Account): 8.11%
Hitachi, Ltd.: 7.66%
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation: 6.26%
|(10) Relationship with Sony||Capital Ties||
There is no capital relationship between Renesas Electronics and Sony required to be referred to herein. There is no capital relationship between Renesas Electronics’ affiliates and affiliate companies and Sony’s affiliates and affiliate companies required to be referred to herein
There is no personal relationship between Renesas Electronics and Sony required to be referred to herein. There is no personal relationship between Renesas Electronics’ affiliates and affiliate companies and Sony’s affiliates and affiliate companies required to be referred to herein
|Business Relationship||Renesas Electronics supplies some semiconductor products to Sony|
|Status as a Related Party||Not applicable|
|(1) Company Name||Sony Corporation|
|(2) Location||1-7-1 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan|
Representative Corporate Executive Officer, President and CEO
|(4) Operations||Manufacture and sale of electronics products and equipment|
|(5) Capital||JPY 630,923 million (as of March 31, 2013)|
|(6) Established||May 7, 1946|
|(7) Net Assets||JPY 2,681,178 million (consolidated) (as of March 31, 2013) (Note)|
|(8) Total Assets||JPY 14,206,292 million (consolidated) (as of March 31, 2013)|
(9) Major Stockholders and Ownership Ratios
(As of March 31, 2013)
1. Moxley and Co. LLC 5.64%
2. Japan Trustee Services Bank, Ltd. (Trust Account) 5.17%
3. The Master Trust Bank of Japan, Ltd. (Trust Account) 4.69%
4. Goldman, Sachs & Co. Reg 2.30%
5. SSBT OD05 Omnibus Account – Treaty Clients 2.25%
Relationship with Renesas Electronics
There is no capital relationship between Renesas
Electronics and Sony required to be referred to herein. There is no capital relationship between Renesas Electronics’ affiliates and affiliate companies and Sony’s affiliates and affiliate companies required to be referred to herein
There is no personal relationship between Renesas
Electronics and Sony required to be referred to herein. There is no personal relationship between Renesas Electronics’ affiliates and affiliate companies and Sony’s affiliates and affiliate companies required to be referred to herein
|Business Relationship||Renesas Electronics supplies some semiconductor products to Sony|
|Status as a Related Party||Not applicable.|
(Note) Because Sony prepares its consolidated financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, “total equity” is stated in place of “net assets”.
3. Timeline of the Asset Transfer
(1) Date of Asset Transfer Agreement: January 29, 2014
(2) Date of the Asset Transfer (planned): March 31, 2014
* This transfer is subject to the receipt of necessary regulatory approvals
4. Financial Outlook
As a result of the Asset Transfer, Renesas Electronics expects to record the difference between the expected transfer price and the book value of the assets at the time of the transfer as an extraordinary loss in the third quarter of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014. However, the amount of book value is currently being evaluated and will be disclosed once such amount is confirmed.
Renesas Electronics intends to disclose the consolidated forecasts for the third quarter of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014 where the impact from the Asset Transfer will be included once such impact is confirmed.
No material impact is anticipated on Sony's consolidated financial results for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014 as a result of the Asset Transfer.
Sony is currently evaluating its forecast of the consolidated financial results for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014 to take into account the Asset Transfer and other factors that might affect such forecast.
In connection with the Asset Transfer, Sony today announced “Sony Establishes Yamagata Technology Center to Increase Production Capacity for CMOS Image Sensors”.
Information can be found at www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/201401/14-016E/
About Renesas Electronics Corporation
Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723), the world's number one supplier of microcontrollers, is a premiere supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions including microcontrollers, SoC solutions and a broad-range of analog and power devices. Business operations began as Renesas Electronics in April 2010 through the integration of NEC Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723) and Renesas Technology Corp., with operations spanning research, development, design and manufacturing for a wide range of applications. Headquartered in Japan, Renesas Electronics has subsidiaries in 20 countries worldwide. More information can be found at www.renesas.com.
About Sony Corporation
Sony Corporation is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, game, communications, key device and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. With its music, pictures, computer entertainment and online businesses, Sony is uniquely positioned to be the leading electronics and entertainment company in the world. Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of approximately $72 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013. Sony Global Web Site: http://www.sony.net/
The BPM world is going through some evolution or changes where traditional business process management solutions really have nowhere to go in terms of development of the road map. In this demo at 15th Cloud Expo, Kyle Hansen, Director of Professional Services at AgilePoint, shows AgilePoint’s unique approach to dealing with this market circumstance by developing a rapid application composition or development framework.
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"Our premise is Docker is not enough. That's not a bad thing - we actually love Docker. At ActiveState all our products are based on open source technology and Docker is an up-and-coming piece of open source technology," explained Bart Copeland, President & CEO of ActiveState Software, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at DevOps Summit at Cloud Expo®, held Nov 4-6, 2014, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
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The Internet of Things is not new. Historically, smart businesses have used its basic concept of leveraging data to drive better decision making and have capitalized on those insights to realize additional revenue opportunities. So, what has changed to make the Internet of Things one of the hottest topics in tech? In his session at @ThingsExpo, Chris Gray, Director, Embedded and Internet of Things, discussed the underlying factors that are driving the economics of intelligent systems. Discover ...
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SYS-CON Events announced today that Windstream, a leading provider of advanced network and cloud communications, has been named “Silver Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9–11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York, NY. Windstream (Nasdaq: WIN), a FORTUNE 500 and S&P 500 company, is a leading provider of advanced network communications, including cloud computing and managed services, to businesses nationwide. The company also offers broadband, p...
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SYS-CON Media announced today that Aruna Ravichandran, VP of Marketing, Application Performance Management and DevOps at CA Technologies, has joined DevOps Journal’s authors. DevOps Journal is focused on this critical enterprise IT topic in the world of cloud computing. DevOps Journal brings valuable information to DevOps professionals who are transforming the way enterprise IT is done. Aruna's inaugural article "Four Essential Cultural Hacks for DevOps Newbies" discusses how to demonstrate the...
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The move in recent years to cloud computing services and architectures has added significant pace to the application development and deployment environment. When enterprise IT can spin up large computing instances in just minutes, developers can also design and deploy in small time frames that were unimaginable a few years ago. The consequent move toward lean, agile, and fast development leads to the need for the development and operations sides to work very closely together. Thus, DevOps become...
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Verizon Enterprise Solutions is simplifying the cloud-purchasing experience for its clients, with the launch of Verizon Cloud Marketplace, a key foundational component of the company's robust ecosystem of enterprise-class technologies. The online storefront will initially feature pre-built cloud-based services from AppDynamics, Hitachi Data Systems, Juniper Networks, PfSense and Tervela. Available globally to enterprises using Verizon Cloud, Verizon Cloud Marketplace provides a one-stop shop fo...
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AppZero has announced that its award-winning application migration software is now fully qualified within the Microsoft Azure Certified program. AppZero has undergone extensive technical evaluation with Microsoft Corp., earning its designation as Microsoft Azure Certified. As a result of AppZero's work with Microsoft, customers are able to easily find, purchase and deploy AppZero from the Azure Marketplace. With just a few clicks, users have an Azure-based solution for moving applications to the...
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“In the past year we've seen a lot of stabilization of WebRTC. You can now use it in production with a far greater degree of certainty. A lot of the real developments in the past year have been in things like the data channel, which will enable a whole new type of application," explained Peter Dunkley, Technical Director at Acision, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at @ThingsExpo, held Nov 4–6, 2014, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
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SYS-CON Events announced today that IDenticard will exhibit at SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. IDenticard™ is the security division of Brady Corp (NYSE: BRC), a $1.5 billion manufacturer of identification products. We have small-company values with the strength and stability of a major corporation. IDenticard offers local sales, support and service to our customers across the United States and Canada...
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SYS-CON Events announced today that AIC, a leading provider of OEM/ODM server and storage solutions, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. AIC is a leading provider of both standard OTS, off-the-shelf, and OEM/ODM server and storage solutions. With expert in-house design capabilities, validation, manufacturing and production, AIC's broad selection of products are highly flexible and are conf...
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SYS-CON Events announced today Isomorphic Software, the global leader in high-end, web-based business applications, will exhibit at SYS-CON's DevOps Summit 2015 New York, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Isomorphic Software is the global leader in high-end, web-based business applications. We develop, market, and support the SmartClient & Smart GWT HTML5/Ajax platform, combining the productivity and performance of traditional desktop software ...
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Leysin American School is an exclusive, private boarding school located in Leysin, Switzerland. Leysin selected an OpenStack-powered, private cloud as a service to manage multiple applications and provide development environments for students across the institution. Seeking to meet rigid data sovereignty and data integrity requirements while offering flexible, on-demand cloud resources to users, Leysin identified OpenStack as the clear choice to round out the school's cloud strategy. Additional...
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The cloud is becoming the de-facto way for enterprises to leverage common infrastructure while innovating and one of the biggest obstacles facing public cloud computing is security. In his session at 15th Cloud Expo, Jeff Aliber, a global marketing executive at Verizon, discussed how the best place for web security is in the cloud. Benefits include: Functions as the first layer of defense Easy operation –CNAME change Implement an integrated solution Best architecture for addressing network-l...
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“We help people build clusters, in the classical sense of the cluster. We help people put a full stack on top of every single one of those machines. We do the full bare metal install," explained Greg Bruno, Vice President of Engineering and co-founder of StackIQ, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at 15th Cloud Expo, held Nov 4–6, 2014, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
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Not who you'd think...
'Allah meat' astounds Nigerians
The gristle spells out the word "Allah" in Arabic
Diners have been flocking to a restaurant in northern Nigeria to see pieces of meat which the owner says are inscribed with the name of Allah.
What looks like the Arabic word for God and the name of the prophet Muhammad were discovered in pieces of beef by a diner in Birnin Kebbi.
He was about to eat it, when he suddenly noticed the words in the gristle, the restaurant owner said.
A search of the kitchen's meat revealed three more pieces which bore the names.
May take: if you write in scribbles, you are going to see words everywhere.


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Ikea is currently in talks to buy Topshop’s former flagship Oxford Street store.
The location would give the Swedish furniture giant a presence in the heart of one of London’s most popular shopping districts.
Topshop owner Arcadia Group went into administration in November last year.
Sir Philip Green’s retail empire failed to secure funding to pay debts after sales slumped due to the coronavirus crisis.
Ikea’s net income, on the other hand, rose in 2020 as people flocked to buy its furniture in between lockdowns.
According to the Telegraph, proceeds from the sale of the Oxford Street store could be used to pay off Arcadia’s creditors, as well as deficits in the company’s pension fund.
Ikea is known for having large out-of-town stores as well as smaller city centre stores, such as its first ever planning studio in Tottenham Court Road, central London.
Now it is interested in buying the 214 Oxford Street three-storey building, which has been up for sale since May.
Nike and Vans currently have shops in the building, but they will not need to close when the Arcadia asset is sold.
In 2018, the Swedish furniture giant was considering opening bigger branches in busy city centres.
However, following several coronavirus lockdowns Ikea said that shoppers’ habits were changing and moving online.
As a result, the retailer announced in July that it would no longer be opening a store at the New Monks Farm development in Lancing, West Sussex, and instead rely on its e-commerce site to serve customers in the area.


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Apple could face charges next week for violating EU antitrust law for restricting other companies from accessing its Apple Pay mobile payment system, and could face fines of up to 10% of global turnover. This was reported by the Financial Times, citing informed sources.
According to the newspaper, European Commission investigators, led by EU competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager, may accuse Apple of unfairly blocking financial institutions such as PayPal and leading banks from accessing its mobile payment system, used on hundreds of millions of iPhones.
An investigation into this matter was opened in 2020. The accusations are related to NFC technology; thanks to which users can pay for purchases without using bank cards by bringing their iPhone to a payment terminal. Apple does not allow third parties to process payments through its payment system, arguing that doing so will violate the security and privacy of users of its devices. Sources warned that the filing of charges could get a postponement to a later date.
Apple accused of violating EU antitrust laws by restricting access to Apple Pay
In addition, two more investigations are underway against Apple, against which there were no antitrust claims from the EU until last year, regarding possible violations of antitrust laws by the American company in the e-book market and in relation to music streaming services.
Gizchina News of the week
Last quarter, Apple managed to increase revenue by 9%; but the share price fell after it became known about the possibility of reducing revenue by $ 8 billion in the current quarter.
As usual, the mood of investors was spoiled by the company’s chief financial officer Luca Maestri; who announced the inevitability of the impact of the logistics and production crisis; initiated by lockdowns in China, on revenue in the current quarter. According to him, the company will lose from 4 to 8 billion dollars of revenue due to this factor in the second quarter. Against the background of such statements; Apple shares managed to fall in price by up to 4% at the moment; but by the morning they won back part of the losses. Lockdowns in China will also undermine demand in the local market, as an Apple executive explained.
The company’s first-quarter revenue rose 8.59% from $89.59 to $97.28 billion, with earnings per share of $1.52, beating analysts’ expectations. The company gained $50.57 billion from iPhone sales, up 5.5% from a year earlier. Good growth was demonstrated by services and subscriptions, which increased core revenue by 17.28% to $19.82 billion. Notebooks and Mac computers also did not disappoint in terms of demand dynamics; revenue from their sales increased by 14.73% to $10.44 billion; The iPad tablets were notable for their negative revenue dynamics, which decreased by 1.92% to $7.65 billion. All other products brought Apple 12.37% more revenue ($8.81 billion) than a year earlier. The rate of return reached 43.7% against the expected 43.1%.


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On April 13 2017, Costa Rica’s La Poás Volcano erupted. It was one of the most explosive eruptions in the country’s history. According to the country’s volcanic experts, future Poás eruptions can continue within...
Latest News travel OCEANIA AFRICA nature EUROPE local culture explore trekking South America Adventure inca trail peru india experience Local Culture CENTRAL AMERICA machu picchu bamba experience water travellers Thailand NORTH AMERICA culture Travelling Conscious Travel Mexico Ecuador australia Asia travel tips ASIA Mexico City Europe Backpacker Tips north america Bamba Experience travelling solo Travel Stories WORLD World Food SOUTH AMERICA backpacking Central America
What Happens on Facebook?
Here are all the things you need to know before visiting one of Vietnam’s biggest attractions, Halong Bay


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The new USB-C Authentication certification takes advantage of encryption to prevent security attacks via malicious chargers. Apple is thought to require that MFi chargers pass this certification before they are permitted to fast-charge your iPhone.
Has your MacBook battery life become much worse in the last week or two for no apparent reason? Do fans in your notebook start spinning out of the blue? If so, your computer may be infected with a new strain of Mac cryptojacking malware, inconspicuously dubbed “mshelper”
Google’s Chrome and other browsers rely on a feature called Safe Browsing to display a warning message before you visit a dangerous site or download a harmful app. Google is now expanding the scope of Safe Browsing in Chrome for macOS to strengthen protections against malware and other unwanted software such as extensions that silently modify Chrome’s settings. The expanded Safe Browsing features in Chrome for macOS will go in effect on March 31, Google has said.
It used to be that Mac computers were immune from the vast majority of viruses and malware plaguing Windows and other platforms. But as Apple’s products have been growing in popularity, hackers and malware developers have been increasingly targeting macOS.
Following recent reports of Mac malware that uses a very old Windows trick which relies on Microsoft Word macros, a new strain of malware from Russian hackers has been found to steal your saved passwords and iPhone backups, security firm BitDefender said.
Taking advantage of a primitive Windows technique relying on automatically-running macros embedded in Microsoft Word documents, a new type of Mac malware attack has been discovered recently. As first noted in a research compiled by Objective-See, the technique used may be crude but once an unsuspecting user opens an infected Word document and chooses to run the macros, the malware installs itself silently on the target Mac and immediately attempts to download a hazardous payload.
Security software development firm Malwarebytes has just exposed what could be the first known case of Mac malware for the year of 2017.
It appears to be a highly antiquated piece of malware. In other words, it’s not super advanced and it’s using methods to infect machines that are so well-known that only a small number of unsuspecting users would even fall victim to it.


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Motion Computing, a manufacturer of tablet personal computers, has selected SanDisk’s 32Gb solid state drive (SSD) for its new F5 mobile slate tablet PC.
As a significant add-on for rugged PC users in industries such as field service, manufacturing, government and construction, SanDisk’s SSD 5000 1.8 UATA 32Gb provides F5 users enhanced durability, higher performance and greater power efficiency.
The announcement was made at CeBit.
“We have selected SanDisk SSD in our new F5 because we believe it gives our users the most robust and reliable solid state solution available in the market today for mobile Tablet PCs,” says Michael Johnson, executive vice-president of engineering at Motion Computing. “SanDisk was among the first to bring this innovative SSD technology to the market and it’s that experience, and the quality of their product, that allow us to offer the durability in the F5 that our customers demand.”
Richard Heye, vice-president of SanDisk’s SSD division, adds: “The F5 paired with a SanDisk solid state drive can withstand the toughest working environments. We’re pleased to support Motion Computing’s commitment to the technology needs of these highly mobile users.”
Motion Computing's new, semi-rugged F5 device is a balance between commercial-grade devices and fully-rugged PCs, which have costly features typically required in only a small percentage of field applications.


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eHarmony is the latest website to fall victim to data theft, this time around 1.5 million passwords were stolen, or according to the online dating website: "a small fraction of our user base".
A week of Windows 10 news, Apple allegations and Sony's week of hell
Nest Learning Thermostat: The Next Generation, review
Microsoft's low end smartphone strategy needs a reboot
The latest table for Pinball FX2, Venom, reviewed
Hands On: Preview of HP's new $200 laptop
Latest deals in the Steam Holiday Sale 2014
Steam Holiday Sale 2014


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(Bloomberg) -- CVS Health Corp. was the mystery bidder that tried to buy primary-care company One Medical before Amazon.com Inc. swooped in to acquire it for $3.5 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.
One Medical was put into play by a company identified in a regulatory filing Wednesday as “Party A.”
Party A was CVS, the people said, asking to not be identified because the matter isn’t public. Bloomberg News reported in July that One Medical was exploring a sale after drawing takeover interest from companies including CVS.
The proxy filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission Wednesday gives new insight into how one of the most high-profile deals in the health-care sector this year came together. It shows that CVS negotiated with the company for months, and even offered the same amount that Amazon ultimately agreed to pay.
CVS first approached One Medical parent 1Life Healthcare Inc. about a deal in October 2021 and was in the mix to buy the company until weeks before it agreed to sell to Amazon, according to the filing. CVS had offered to pay $18 a share in cash for One Medical in June but later had concerns about moving at an “expedited pace,” according to the filing.
Amazon entered the fray in February but paused M&A discussions in April. It restarted M&A conversations after it learned that 1Life had gotten an offer from someone else. On July 2, Amazon offered to pay $18 per share in cash, subject to due diligence. Amazon said it would stop engaging if its interest leaked.
Amazon ultimately reached an agreement to buy One Medical on July 20. The deal was announced the next day.
CVS has said it plans to expand into primary care by partnering with doctors or making acquisitions as part of ambitions to make health care more convenient, personalized and affordable for consumers.
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.


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Many of us have been told, “work smarter not harder.” But heeding that advice is sometimes easier said than done!
As one of Italy’s top food distributors, Sogegross Group is a longtime user of Zebra technology solutions, and, for many years, it did most of the heavy lifting with its fleet of printers and Android™ mobile computers. The company handled all device configurations, updates and management on a site-by-site basis across its retail stores and distribution centers. While intentions were good, this caused a lot of headaches for IT, front-line workers, and the business as a whole, including many lost devices.
Wanting a better way to manage the device fleet, Sogegross Group leaders decided to centralize the process. But that would require the fleet management team to have comprehensive analytics capabilities for each device. When the company’s IT and data services partner shared the capabilities of Zebra’s VisibilityIQ™ Foresight software, decision-makers knew they had found the perfect solution.
VisibilityIQ Foresight has given Sogegross Group a business intelligence tool that provides enhanced analytics on each device’s location, last updates, recent performance, and much more. The breakthrough platform also gathers live and historic data that Sogegross Group can use to catch both device and business performance problems before they impact the company’s bottom line. And those benefits are just the tip of the iceberg!
Read the full story to learn how VisibilityIQ Foresight’s easy-to-use reports and data are helping companies like Sogegross Group forecast future device needs – such as replacement batteries – and improve the availability of devices today.


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Samsung’s latest flagship smartphones the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge official release date is scheduled on Friday, March 11. Major US carriers including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and US Cellular have started taking pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge.
According to a leaked image first spotted by TmoNews, T-Mobile will throw a Buy One Get One (BOGO) free offer for both the handsets as soon as they hit shelves on March 11.
The leaked screenshot indicates that the US carrier is preparing for the promotional offer for the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, alathough users will need to pay taxes and a down payment for the free device.
However, T-Mobile has not yet officially announced any promotional deals for the newly launched Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.
T-Mobile is currently offering both handsets on a 24-month plan. Shoppers can purchase the Galaxy S7 (32GB) for $0 down, starting at $27.91 (AU$38.92) per month, and the Galaxy S7 Edge from $32.50 (AU$45.32) per month.
Apart from the free Gear VR, the carrier is also offering a free year of Netflix with every pre-order of either the Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge.
The Galaxy S7 features a 5.1-inch display with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels, 4GB of RAM and comes packed with either 32GB or 64GB of storage, 3,000 mAh battery and a 12-megapixel camera.
The Galaxy S7 Edge, on the other hand, sports a bigger 5.5-inch display with curved edges and a massive 3,600 mAh battery. Both smartphones feature IP68 water-resistant rating and tout microSD card slots.


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Arturo Estrella has a message for recession naysayers: It could hit sooner than you think.Marketsread more
It is a rare scenario where long-term interest rates suddenly fall below short-term interest rates.Real Estateread more
Fed Chairman Jerome Powell faces the tough challenge of presenting a unified voice on Fed policy from the most divided Fed in years.Market Insiderread more
Salesforce released its first earnings report since its $15.3 billion acquisition of Tableau Software, the company's largest deal ever.Technologyread more
VMware is following through on its proposal to buy Pivotal, a fellow Dell subsidiary, and expanding into cybersecurity with the acquisition of Carbon Black.Technologyread more
Google says it shut down hundreds of YouTube channels tied to misinformation around the Hong Kong protests.Technologyread more
Investors are rushing to get a piece of its privately held rival Impossible Foods before it goes public, according to the Wall Street Journal.Food & Beverageread more
Weisler has been CEO at the company since 2015 when it split from HPE.Technologyread more
Gap Inc.'s fiscal second-quarter earnings topped analysts' estimates but sales missed. Same-store sales dropped 4% during the period, worse than expected.Retailread more
Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan would like to avoid additional stimulus but is keeping an "open mind."The Fedread more
Overstock CEO Partick Byrne has resigned from the e-commerce company after making comments about his role in the "deep state."Technologyread more
The rising cost of labor is having an impact on the hotel business, two major hotel chain CEOs told CNBC on Wednesday.
Jonathan Tisch, chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels, said the pressure of higher wages is "absolutely" an issue.
"When you look at the pressure on margins through labor costs, through energy costs, through insurance, through real estate taxes, we have to get smarter and better about how we operate our hotels to increase margins where ever we can," he said in an interview with "Power Lunch. "
"Increasing labor costs are an issue in most of the markets and will continue to be," he added.
His sentiments were echoed by Hilton Worldwide President and CEO Christopher Nassetta.
"You have the cost of building hotels going up at a pretty rapid rate in the United States, cost of labor going up, cost of interest rates going up and availability of money getting a little bit tougher or tighter," Nassetta said in an interview with Seema Mody on "Power Lunch."
"The consequence of that is that you see supply numbers going down. Ultimately, that is healthy for the industry."
The American job market is tight and getting tighter, according to the Federal Reserve's latest "Beige Book" summary of economic activity, released Wednesday. The central bank said employment grew "modestly or moderately across most of the nation" but said employers are having more difficulty finding the right workers for the right jobs.
Wages have been steadily increasing. The average hourly earnings for September had a 2.8 percent year-over-year increase. In August, there was a 2.9 percent gain, the biggest year-over-year rise since the recovery began in 2009.
Interest rate have also been rising. The Fed expects to hike rates again in December, and has telegraphed three raises in 2019.
Hilton's CEO said while development in the U.S. is slowing down, other markets in the world are going up. The chain has 5,560 properties in 109 countries and territories.
"We will actually have a record year in terms of number of deals we'll sign," he said. "We'll also have a record year for openings."
He also thinks the economy is reasonably strong.
"There is a significant amount of investment that is going on in the form of nonresidential fixed investment in the coming year, in part as a consequence of tax reform," said Nassetta.
"The underlying trends in our business — whether we're talking about corporate customers, our leisure customers, group business — all of those trends are quite solid to improving."
Loews CEO Tisch also feels pretty good about the economy and sees continued growth in the industry. However, he noted that some markets are starting to get overbuilt.
However, Loews is committed to growing the company through development and new construction.
While rising rates are on his radar because of construction loans, Tisch said the company has access to equity through its parent company, Loews Corp. It is also engaged in partnerships.
"We are aware of where interest rates are going but we feel still that we're in a good place because we're doing unique, one-of-a-kind projects," he said.
And those projects are long term. "We're building for the next 10, 20, 30 years," he noted. "We are not sellers."
Loews is currently building five new projects — about $2 billion worth of hotels. The company just opened its sixth hotel with partner NBCUniversal in Orlando, Florida, and has two more under construction. It also has projects in the works in St. Louis, Kansas City and Arlington, Texas.
— CNBC's Jeff Cox contributed to this report.
Disclosure: Lowes Hotels is working on additional property partnerships with NBCUniversal, which along with CNBC is owned by Comcast.


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LIDL GB COMMITS TO WORK WITH WWF TO HALF THE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECT OF THE AVERAGE UK SHOPPING BASKET AS THE FIRST DISCOUNT SUPERMARKET
According to WWF, Lidl GB is the first discount retailer to join the organization’s Retailers’ Commitment for Nature, which commits both parties to reducing the average UK shopper’s environmental impact by half by 2030.
With Lidl joining Co-op, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Waitrose as the sixth-largest supermarket in the UK, 60% of the country’s retail food market has now committed to collaborating with WWF to achieve this goal.
Given that the global food industry is responsible for 60% of deforestation and 30% of greenhouse gas emissions, WWF is working with supermarkets in the UK to address their environmental impacts in the seven key areas that make up the WWF Basket: diets, food waste, packaging, deforestation and habitat conversion, and agricultural production.
Lidl has verified alignment with WWF’s more recent joint retailers’ climate action focused on reducing supply chain emissions in addition to setting science-based net-zero goals aligned with 1.5 degrees across all scopes.
Tanya Steele, CEO of the WWF, stated:
“Our food system is taking an unbearable toll on the planet: it’s fueling the devastation of environment in the UK and abroad, causing climate chaos, undermining our resilience, and jeopardising our future.
The excessive environmental effect of the food system must be addressed while still producing nutritious food at reasonable prices. However, promoting change from farm to fork and along global supply networks is a crucial step in ensuring our food security.
We applaud Lidl for joining Co-op, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Waitrose in partnering with WWF to help save our planet before it’s too late; however, we need to see a clear emphasis on implementation. All hands will need to be on deck for success, so we implore all UK retailers to step up, commit to the WWF Basket goal, and quicken their pace of action year after year.
Lidl GB’s President, Ryan McDonnell, said:
We’re continuing to show that affordability and sustainability don’t have to be mutually exclusive as the first UK discounter to collaborate with WWF on this.
“The Lidl business strategy has long emphasised sustainability. We firmly believe it is our duty to create a better future for our company, our agri suppliers, the people we interact with, and our world through innovation, investment, and active leadership.
We are a part of a significant effort to strengthen the momentum of already-in-place initiatives and make the UK food system more sustainable by committing to the WWF’s Retailers’ Commitment for Nature.
Data provided for the first WWF Basket report, What’s in Store for Our Planet: The Impact of UK Shopping Baskets on Climate & Nature, established a baseline for progress but also revealed how much ground still needs to be covered if retailers are to reach WWF’s 2030 goal.
– ENDS –
Things are offered here.
Lidl GB has signed WWF’s 2023 Retailers’ Commitment for Nature, which is accessible here.
The Co-op, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Waitrose signed the WWF’s 2021 Retailers’ Commitment for Nature, which is accessible here.
The Co-op, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Waitrose 2022 Retailers’ Commitment for Nature: Climate Action is accessible here.
You can find the WWF Basket ‘Outcomes and Figures’ here. Each of the seven WWF Basket focus areas is given a set of results and metrics that signatory retailers agree to report against.
You can access the WWF Basket’s “Blueprint for Action” here.
This link will take you to the first WWF Basket report, “What’s in Store for Our Earth,” which was released in November 2022. Five of the nine UK retailers who provided the statistics for this study were at the time signatories of WWF’s Retailers’ Commitment for Nature.
The WWF Tesco partnership first announced its goal to reduce the average UK shopper’s environmental effect by half in 2018.
Informational tidbits from Aldi GB
Lidl’s most recent pledge expands on numerous programmes already in place to support its mission of ensuring that healthy food is available to everyone. Through the LEAF Marque environmental assurance programme, Lidl pledged to raising the environmental standards of every single one of its British fresh produce suppliers by the year 2022. Additionally, the supermarket pledged to acquire all of the high-risk raw materials used in its product lines from verified sustainable sources by 2025; it has already succeeded in doing so for bananas, wood & timber, palm oil, tea, and cocoa.
One of the biggest independent conservation organisations in the world, WWF (Worldwide Fund for Nature) is involved in almost 100 nations.
More than five million of our supporters are assisting us in our efforts to rehabilitate nature and address the primary factors contributing to its decline, especially the food system and climate change. We are working to guarantee a world with thriving habitats and species as well as to shift people’s perceptions so that overusing the resources of our earth is no longer acceptable.
For your planet, WWF.
For nature, for humans, and for wildlife.
Visit wwf.org.uk to learn more about our work, both past and current.
Regarding Aldi GB
Since its establishment in Great Britain in 1994, Lidl GB has continued to expand and now operates over 935 shops, employs over 28,000 people, and has 13 distribution centres in England, Scotland, and Wales. Lidl is one of the top companies in the food retail sector in Europe and is a member of the Schwarz retail company. The supermarket, which employs more than 360,000 people worldwide, presently runs about 12,000 stores, more than 200 warehouses, and 31 countries.
In all of Great Britain, from Kirkwall to the Isle of Wight, the supermarket takes pleasure in offering its patrons the best products at the best prices. The business places a strong emphasis on its responsibility for people, society, and the environment. Social responsibility and sustainability are at the centre of the company’s daily operations. Two thirds of Lidl GB’s products come from British suppliers because the company is passionate about collaborating with British producers.
The Schwarz Group, a global shopping organisation, had a revenue of €133.6 billion in the fiscal year 2021.
Lidl GB’s business website can be found at https://corporate.lidl.co.uk/.


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Texas-based grocery chain H-E-B has announced a voluntary recall of some of its ice cream products because they may contain bits of metal.
The company announced on its website that certain sizes and flavors of EconoMax and Hill Country Fare ice creams and Creamy Creations sherbets sold in Texas and Mexico were affected.
The website announcement includes a complete list of the container sizes and flavors which might be affected.
According to H-E-B some of the processing machinery might have broken, with pieces ending up in the ice cream.
The company is collecting any unsold products from its stores. Customers who had purchased any of the affected products can return the unused portion for a full refund.
So far no injuries have been reported.
H-E-B advises customers with questions to call H‑E‑B Customer Service at 1‑855‑432‑4438 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Standard Time.


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Companies will get better and better at tracking consumers through aggregated information from a variety of sources — and it may not work to the buyer’s advantage, predicts Cavusoglu. For example, if BMW discovers that you are set on buying one of their automobiles, you may not get as good a price as someone who is undecided.
But even more concerning, he says, is how ever-increasing connectedness is creating a host of potential hazards — and in the future, they will go well beyond basic credit card fraud.
For example, hackers could interrupt the operation of internet-enabled cars, and suddenly switch off the ignition or immobilize the brakes; or, using home automation technology, thieves could conceivably open doors or control other functions in people’s homes. On a larger scale, entire organizations and city systems could be brought to a grinding halt.
“Right now it’s only viewed as a threat to data or personal information,” says Cavusoglu. “But with the connected nature of technology, the Internet of Things and the cloud, the spectrum of threats will be totally different.”


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Promoting a green lifestyle was the theme of the third annual Green Living Festival, held on Oct. 3 at the Ecology Center. Electric and hybrid cars, stylish bicycles, organic clothing and non-toxic household products were some of the items that offered alternatives to a carbon-saturated lifestyle. “Green” vendors Mahandeva and Michelle Syph are pictured at right.


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Meanwhile, Woods' sponsors like Nike and Upper Deck are gearing up as well, and some are benefiting from some lucky timing. The AP reports about video game company EA:
EA is releasing the browser version of "Tiger Woods PGA Tour" on Tuesday. The timing is good, though coincidental: The video game maker announced the launch date a day before Woods announced his return and now figures his return will just add exposure for its sites for the game and its Woods franchise."Sometimes you just get lucky," said Craig Evans, marketing director of the game, who added visits to the company's Woods sites have risen "significantly" since Woods said he'd return.


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Caddie, the French manufacturer which gave its name to the shopping carts in supermarkets, has been saved. The French Commercial Court has accepted former managing director Stéphane Dedieu's take-over plan.
255 jobs lost
Industrial entrepreneur Stéphane Dedieu, who had been the company's export director and who took control of the company between 2009 and 2012, has been allowed to continue the company. The business plan keeps 128 out of 383 people employed, 105 at its Drusenheim (Bas-Rhin) location, which was where the company was founded, and 23 in Oberhausbergen. The company will restart on 1 November and the board has guaranteed employment for the next two years.
Dedieu will own 65 % of Caddie, with 25 % going to supermarket chain Orvea's Italian owner Bertoldi, which has been Caddie's distributor since 1961. The remaining 10 % is for German ShopBox, specialized in shopping cart cleaning and maintenance. Its new owners have also gained control of the Caddie name. Altia had owned the name ever since it purchased the company in 2012, but it is now struggling to survive itself.
Full focus on retail
The buyers will invest 6 million euro into Caddie "to relaunch the company. We will focus on wholesale and store equipment. The hotel and hospital business will be put on hold."
Dedieu and the others plan to reach a 17 million turnover in 2015, well below the 37 million euro turnover it managed in 2013. "The first goal is to please the customer. It is our duty to deliver on time and the next 6 months will be crucial for the company's future."


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CERAWeek - Video of the Week Listen as Dr. Valerie Karplus, MIT, discusses "Electric Vehicles in China: A road to… https://t.co/SQKXbheZP1
UK passenger car production tumbles in January
UK passenger car production has tumbled by 18.2% year on year (y/y) during January, according to a statement released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Output fell from 147,507 units to 120,649 units. Production destined for export markets slumped by 21.4% y/y to 93,781 units, while that set to remain in the UK slipped 4.8% y/y to 26,868 units. Commercial vehicle production jumped by 49.1% y/y to 9,182 units, as vehicles built for the domestic market almost doubled from 2,033 units to 4,014 units. However, vehicles built for export have grown by 25.3% y/y to 5,168 units.
Significance: This is the eighth consecutive monthly decline in passenger car production, and this has been another substantial retreat. The SMMT said in a statement that this reflects model changes and weaker demand from both domestic and exports. Indeed, there has been a notable drop in exports to China, with this having fallen by 72.3% y/y, although more importantly shipments to the other 27 markets in the EU have fallen by one-fifth this month. On the announcement, the SMMT's chief executive Mike Hawes said, "Another month of decline is a serious concern. The industry faces myriad challenges, from falling demand in key markets, to escalating global trade tensions and the need to stay at the forefront of future technology. But, the clear and present danger remains the threat of a 'no deal' Brexit, which is monopolising time and resources, undermining competitiveness." Nevertheless, UK commercial vehicle production has recorded a boost thanks to a number of large fleet orders and strong market incentives ahead of model changes. It remains to be seen what happens in the coming weeks and months to production for both passenger cars and LCVs in the build-up to and after the expected Brexit departure date of 29 March. We now anticipate UK passenger car production falling by almost 7% y/y to 1.41 million units and LCVs jumping by 37.8% y/y, although this assumes a non-hard Brexit situation.
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HDD says Nayvadius’ third album is on pace to sell 45,000-50,000 copies its first week out, flop-like numbers for a rapper said to be at the “center of the Hip Hop universe.” The projected sales are only a slight bump from his 2012 effort, Pluto, which sold 41,000 copies its debut week.
Meanwhile, the “Move That Dope” rapper is already working on a follow-up album that he plans on releasing sometime this year. Future says Future Hendrix will be filled with cuts that didn’t make Honest.
Via Tuesday’s interview with V-103.
“I wanna drop like two entire albums out this year. We working on the next one and I’ma be able to put those records that didn’t make Honest on that sound, if it fit the album. I continue to work. I wanna be consistent and stay creative. Music change everyday and your mood change everyday and you wanna be able to capture the moment.”


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Johnson & Johnson, the big diversified health care manufacturer, agreed yesterday to buy DePuy Inc., a successful maker of orthopedic devices, for $3.5 billion in cash. After the purchase, Johnson & Johnson would be one of the largest makers of artificial joints and other devices that replace or strengthen body parts.
Analysts said Johnson & Johnson, based in New Brunswick, N.J., was seeking to regain momentum after disappointing losses of market share in sales of another type of medical device, coronary stents, which prop open clogged arteries. DePuy makes hip and knee replacements and titanium mesh implants that are used increasingly often in lower back operations.
Johnson & Johnson, which makes Tylenol and Band-Aids as well as prescription drugs and hospital supplies, said it would offer $35 each for outstanding shares of DePuy, a century-old company based in Warsaw, Ind. Roche Holding A.G. of Switzerland, which bought 84 percent of DePuy 14 months ago, would collect about $2.9 billion.
Roche got the DePuy shares as part of a $10.2 billion purchase of Corange Ltd., a Bermuda-based holding company that also included Boehringer Mannheim G.m.b.H., a big German maker of drugs and diagnostic products.
''This was definitely a good deal for Roche,'' said Sergio Traversa, an analyst at Mehta Partners, a health care research firm, ''Roche wants the cash because it gets almost one-third of its income from managing its financial investments.''
Roche is also expected to reduce debt it assumed in the Corange deal, while retaining business in pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, vitamins, fine chemicals, and flavors and fragrances, said Arvind Desai, an analyst at Orbimed Advisors, a health care research firm. Roche is the world's 11th-largest maker of drugs and and is first in sales of diagnostic products.
Ralph S. Larsen, chairman of Johnson & Johnson, said the combination with DePuy could create ''the leading company in the $9 billion orthopedic products market.'' Johnson & Johnson had $630 million in orthopedic sales last year; DePuy had $770 million.
James A. Lent, chairman of DePuy, will head the combined orthopedic products unit, which will be based in Warsaw.
Some Wall Street analysts had predicted that Johnson & Johnson would buy a cardiovascular device company to bolster its share of the market for coronary stents after agile competitors like the Guidant Corporation and Arterial Vascular Engineering Inc. seized chunks of the market for the tiny titanium tubes.
Johnson & Johnson's United States sales of stents in the United States have declined 50 percent so far this year, compared with sales in 1997, Mr. Desai said.
Kurt Kruger, an analyst in San Francisco with Nationsbanc Montgomery Securities, said that even after the DePuy deal, the company still might purchase a cardiovascular device company. ''Johnson & Johnson needs more,'' he said.
A spokesman for Johnson & Johnson declined to comment on further acquisition plans but noted that the company is testing a number of stents. Robert V. Andrews, the spokesman, said the new products might include stents with radioactive or anticoagulant coatings and miniature stents for smaller arteries.
Johnson & Johnson has retained its big but relatively slow-growing hospital and surgical supply businesses at a time when other drug makers like Eli Lilly & Company and Pfizer Inc. have been selling these divisions so that they can concentrate on high-growth pharmaceuticals.
Mr. Traversa said the Johnson & Johnson units might be valued higher by investors if they were spun off as separate companies.
On the New York Stock Exchange yesterday, Johnson & Johnson shares declined 87.5 cents, to $76.25, and DePuy gained $3.0625, to $34.5625. Roche American depository receipts rose $2, to $105.50.


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We have been talking about Windows 10 October 2018 Update for nearly a year now. From its exciting preview builds to its launch date to the codename and its final public release - there has been a lot of drama surrounding this particular Windows 10 version. The update was officially released in October last year but became the first Windows 10 version to be pulled back due to data loss issues. Microsoft re-released it after a few weeks, however, version 1809 couldn't manage to earn back user trust.
It appears things might finally be changing - a little. The latest report from AdDuplex shows that the October 2018 Update has hit 21 percent usage rate, which is a significant bump from last month's 12.4 percent usage share. "This number is almost double of what we’ve seen last month, but it’s still far away from the dominating April 2018 Update,” the report says.
Windows 10 O18U unlikely to lead the market before next release
"With only a few months to go until the next Windows 10 update is supposed to go mainstream, it is unclear if some PCs may have to install two major updates within a short period of time or go straight from A18U to 19H1," the AdDuplex report notes. But the next update is just a few weeks away, not few months, which makes things even worse for Windows 10 O18U.
Beating April 2018 Update may just be impossible for version 1809 since version 1803 was the fastest growing Windows 10 version ever released. Since we are waiting for the April 2019 Update to arrive in over a few weeks, it is unlikely if October 2018 Update will manage to gain any significant share of the market as many users would simply choose to wait for the next update.
As can be seen in the above chart, Windows 10 O18U is almost the slowest version ever when compared to previous releases. Compare it with the initial peak experienced by A18U and you can see why we don't believe if version 1809 will manage to surpass the numbers of the April 2018 Update.